Master of Science in Healthcare Administration Course Descriptions

MHA/MBA 510 Management Skills Portfolio (3 Credits)This is an integrated course focusing on personal skill and management competency assessment and development. This course utilizes a set of assessment instruments and techniques to help students identify areas for personal development and growth. The assessment process culminates in the creation of a personal development plan that will be revisited in the final course of each graduate business program in order to determine progress and recast an updated plan.

MHA 520 Healthcare Operations and Management (3 Credits)This course covers organization design, governance models, and contemporary operations issues related to healthcare organizations. The student will use various techniques as part of an integrated framework to set goals, implement strategies, and evaluate healthcare operations. It explores the organizations and functions of the many non-physician personnel that are needed to provide efficient healthcare delivery in today’s market.

Not open to students with credit for MPM 520.

MHA 540 Healthcare Informatics (3 Credits)This course deals with the documentation, management, and use of health information. Topics covered in this course would include HIPAA, meaningful use of health technology, and the advantages of an Electronic Medical Record.

Prerequisites: MHA 510 and MHA 520. Not open to students with credit for MPM 540.

MHA 600 Practicum (1-6 Credits)This is a practicum placement with a healthcare organization that enables the student to develop practical skills essential for the effective management of healthcare services. While in the practicum the student will complete at least two reflection papers as stipulated by the faculty supervisor. This is available to students who have not held full-time professional work positions in the healthcare management field and to those with work experience in the field who wish to explore new career options.

The practicum placement must be approved by the Program Director or Chair of the Division of Business. Students must have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours prior to taking this course.

MHA students who want to use this course to meet graduation requirements must complete a minimum of 3 credit hours in MHA 600 or enroll in MHA 720, or another graduate level business course with the program director’s approval. One credit hour is equal to 40 clock hours in the organization. International students applying for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) through the international office must be enrolled in MHA 600 for a minimum of one credit hour in the semester. This course may be repeated multiple times with a maximum of 6 credit hours earned.

Not open to students with credit for MPM 600.

MHA 610 Legal and Regulatory Aspects of Healthcare Management (3 Credits)This course covers the laws and regulations applicable to healthcare management. It acquaints students with Federal and State legislation and reporting requirements related to the delivery health services and products. There will be an emphasis on the business applications of health law and regulation.

Not open to students with credit for MPM 610.

MHA 612 Strategic Human Resource Management and Employment Law (3 Credits)This course deals with strategic planning in regard to organizing and controlling the performance of various activities concerned with procuring, developing, maintaining and utilizing a labor force so that the objectives and purposes of the organization are accomplished efficiently and effectively.

The review and evaluation of strategic management responsibilities in the field of labor and personnel relations includes the role law, economics, behavior science, and culture play in the labor/management relations. Focusing on legal issues, the coursework covers contemporary issues in employment law, employee rights, and equal employment matters.

Not open to students with credit for MPM 612 or MGMT 612.

MHA 620 Marketing and Public Relations in Healthcare (3 Credits)This course covers strategies for healthcare organization communication and marketing. Topics include patient and third-party relations, strategies and communications for better community health, and the development and analysis of market data relevant to the healthcare entity. The student will appreciate the importance of developing a unique identity for the healthcare organization and the various ways available to sell that entity to patients and other referral sources.

Not open to students with credit for MPM 620.

MHA 630 Healthcare Finance (3 Credits)This course reviews both cash and accrual accounting methods as well as the various financial reports needed to gage the financial condition of the healthcare organization. It covers cash flow management, payables management, filing insurance claims, including coding and accounts receivable management. The differences of billing to insurance companies, Medicare, Medicaid and private individuals, will be explored.

Not open to students with credit for MPM 630.

MHA 640 Healthcare Economics (3 Credits)This course applies economic analysis to decision making in healthcare organizations. It develops an understanding of the healthcare system and the markets for healthcare services. Students will study important techniques essential for the effective management in the delivery of healthcare services and exploration of new business opportunities. These include demand and supply analysis, benefit and cost analysis, incentive analysis, and profit and market analysis.

Not open to students with credit for MPM 640.

MHA 660 Ethics and Healthcare Services Management (3 Credits)This course includes a comprehensive review of contemporary ethical issues in healthcare services management. As such, the course is designed to promote ethical awareness, ethical knowledge and skills. Students will study a variety of traditional moral theories, and using healthcare setting examples, work to develop an ability critique approaches in each of the theoretical frameworks. The course will present the fundamental principles of the teaching of the Catholic Church on medicine and healthcare. Course work focuses on the analysis of the many complex ethical issues encountered by healthcare administrators, policy makers and practitioners.

Not open to students with credit for MPM 660.

MHA 670 Risk Management in Healthcare (3 Credits)This course focuses on the theories, concepts, and principles of healthcare risk management and development of an integrated approach to healthcare risk management. Current trends and issues, design, and management of healthcare risk management systems will be examined. Students, applying evidence-based knowledge will analyze the design and implementation of healthcare risk management systems.

Not open to students with credit for MPM 670.

MHA/MBA 680 Leadership and Change Management (3 Credits)This course focuses on an exploration of the models, perspectives, competencies, and tools related to providing leadership in changing environments. Students will assess their abilities in a variety of core leadership components including individual leadership traits, emotional intelligence, and change management skills. An individual leadership development plan will be constructed utilizing course readings, skill assessment tools, and case studies.

Not open to students with credit for MBA 725 or MPM 680.

MHA 720 Independent Project (3 Credits)This is an independent research project in healthcare. The project design, expected outcomes, requirements and completion date must be determined in collaboration with a faculty member who has agreed to supervise the project. A proposal written by the student must be approved by the Program Director or Chair of the Division of Business.